Photo Of The Day 8/7/2012

Black Oaks, Yosemite Valley by Scott Walton

Scott Walton submitted this photograph to the first American Landscape contest which we wrapped up earlier this summer. This photograph was one of the finalists in the contest and it stands out to me because of the more intimate feel. A lot of photographers focus on the grand vistas in the field. Here Scott Walton chose a quite, more subtle composition. He describes getting this photograph, “On my second trip to Yosemite, walking the trails and driving the roads for a week with a friend, I came upon this group of Black Oaks. I was not looking for these trees, but immediately recognized them from the pages of other photographers’ books I’ve collected. With the Fall color a bit past peak and the back light just right, I can only hope I’ve added something special to the body of images others have produced of these wonderful subjects. The view camera controls allowed me to keep the film plane vertical so that all the trees remain vertical and parallel while tilting the camera down slightly to capture the leaves on the ground.”

He continues, “Like so many landscape photographers, I grew up following the ‘west coast school’ and the excellent photographers who defined it. With this background, visiting Yosemite was one of those things I just had to do. The challenge when exploring such a well photographed place is to not repeat what’s already been done, but rather find a new perspective or somehow bring one’s own vision to the subject. I sometimes refer to this image as “Circle of Friends” because I imagine these trees standing together in that little group for so many years. And just like a group of good friends we experience in life, as we age, some are no longer with us; making those who remain even more precious.”

You can see all of finalists of the American Landscape contest in the Finalists Gallery.

I select a Photo Of The Day everyday. Images come from the OP Galleries like Your Favorite Places, Assignments and the contest galleries. You can see more of my Photo Of The Day selections on the OP Blog.